


The Slow Burn of the Decade

by seoulsunset



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Architect Jihyo, Ballet Dancer Myoui Mina, Best Friends, F/F, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Jihyo is sweet, Jihyo will have a baby, Light Angst, Mina is sweet, One Shot, Slow Burn, This is actually not so angsty but actually fluffy, they fall in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:15:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25729546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seoulsunset/pseuds/seoulsunset
Summary: Ten years. That was all the time it took for Park Jihyo to realize that she had always been, indeed, in love with her best friend, Myoui Mina.
Relationships: Myoui Mina/Park Jisoo | Jihyo
Comments: 10
Kudos: 178
Collections: Twice Underrated Ships Ficfest





	The Slow Burn of the Decade

**Author's Note:**

> My first entry to @twiceficfest. Enjoy!

The very first time Jihyo had an inkling of how she truly felt for Mina was during their senior prom.

Without a single doubt, Mina was the most beautiful woman of the night. It came as absolutely no surprise to anyone that she managed to win the title of prom queen. Not that anyone would dare to rebuke the decision, Mina looked downright flawless in her rose pink tulle gown. Her make up was impeccable, her jewelry suited her youthful face so much, hell, even her shoes were perfect for her whole look. But Jihyo believes that Mina’s real asset in winning was this — she won everyone with her radiant smile.

_No wonder Mina took home the crown._

Jihyo was just there, admiring her best friend as the crown was placed on top of her head. She catches Mina’s eyes from the crowd, and her best friend in the whole wide world smiles at her so widely and so joyfully. Her eyes never straying from her best friend, as she wins the queen of the night, and maybe of Jihyo’s life too.

Jihyo’s own royal blue gown glimmered underneath the strobe lights that lined their school gymnasium. Right beside her, Nayeon claps along with Jihyo, as their friend wins the crown and the title. Everyone was cheering, everyone was happy, and Jihyo’s eyes were only on _her._

She looked _perfect._

It was now time for the first slow dance. As per tradition, the prom king, who luckily also happened to be Mina’s date, extends his hand towards Mina, ready to sweep her off of her feet. They’re going to lead the first dance, and then soon, everyone will begin to join them.

Even Jihyo’s own date was preparing himself to lead Jihyo into a waltz.

But what not a single person in the crowd expected was this, for Mina to shake her head at her partner, and to run down the stage towards Jihyo’s direction. She makes it to where Jihyo is standing in less than a minute, as the crowd and both their dates stare at the prom queen bafflingly. _What in the world is Mina up to?_

Mina doesn’t say a word, though, as usual. Instead, she only smiles at her _best friend_ , as she encircles Jihyo’s wrist and pulls her into the middle of the dance floor.

“Myoui Mina,” Jihyo hisses as she glances around the crowd, who was looking at them in all sorts of ways. “What are you doing?”

Before Mina answered Jihyo, she nodded towards the DJ to start the music, before encircling Jihyo’s waist and intertwining their hands together. “Having my first dance.”

The DJ probably didn’t want to embarrass the kids, so he indeed plays the music intended for the first dance of the prom king and queen. Speaking of prom king, Jihyo glances at him from the stage, and sees him looking at them with a resigned but, is that a _fond_ look in his eyes?

Not wanting to embarrass themselves, Jihyo dances along too, also because Mina was basically pulling her to move along with her. And because she was Mina, and Jihyo will do everything for _her_ Mina. “This was supposed to be you and your prom king, Minari.”

Mina only shakes her head, a serene and happy smile on her beautiful face. “I want my first slow dance with the most important person in my life.” One step, two steps, and a turn. “I wanted it with someone, who I could someday look back to, with absolutely no regrets.”

There was a falter to Jihyo’s step, but Mina was kind enough not to tease her. But then again, it was Mina’s fault anyways. How can she expect Jihyo to keep moving her feet when she says things like that?

“Careful, Minari,” Jihyo smiles with all the joy her small self could show the prom queen. In this very juncture of time, Jihyo didn't see anyone else. Not their dates, not their other friends, not even the sea of people who were probably looking at them funny. To hell with the crowd, this was _their_ moment. “Your date just might be a little jealous.”

Even when she giggles in the midst of the dance, Mina maintains her footing. She does not stagger, because she was perfect and can make no mistake. “Don’t worry about him, Jihyo. You’re much, much more important than him, anyways.”

She twirls when Mina spins her around. “I am?”

All around their school, Mina was known for not just her ethereal beauty, but for her gorgeous smile and equally radiant eyes too. But Jihyo would like to believe that in her three years of being Mina’s best friend, Mina reserved a special smile just for _her._

Because Mina was smiling at her with _that_ smile right now.

“You are, Jihyo,” The prom queen promptly bumps their foreheads together. At the back of her mind, she can’t help but wonder, _if the venue was empty tonight, what more could Mina have done?_ “You mean the most to me, my princess.”

Some might say it’s peculiar, how Mina calls Jihyo _her_ princess. But how can Jihyo ever deny her of anything, when she smiled at her like _that_ , with her voice filled with nothing but fondness, and with her eyes sparkling with nothing but pure adoration.

_I was her princess, and she was my queen._

And there, at the age of 18, both having their first slow dance in the midst of their senior prom, did Jihyo first feel an odd skip in her heart, all because of Mina’s smile, and of Mina’s eyes.

  
  
  


The second time something shifted in Jihyo’s heart, it was Valentine’s day.

There was a gorgeous bouquet of pink flowers on Jihyo’s desk, and Jihyo doesn’t even remember how it got there. She just came home from her classes, and she was a little exhausted. As an architectural major, Jihyo barely had time to date, much more find one for Valentine’s day, so she simply intended to nap and wait until Mina came home from her own date. Whatever. At least until she sees the bouquet. She inches closer towards the suspicious looking but oh so gorgeous flowers and sees a note.

_‘Date tonight, gorgeous? Just you & me? — Love, your penguin xoxo’ _

The note falls on the floor the same way Jihyo’s heart drops.

She pulls her phone out immediately, texting her best friend with her heart beating so fast she’s not sure how her hands are not shaking. _Goodness._ What’s the meaning of this?

Mina receives a text just right after she enters her own class.

_From: My Jigglypuff Jihyo (12:34 pm)_

**Minari**

**Yo what’s this**

She gets a reply exactly seventy two seconds later.

_From: My Penguin Minari (12:35 pm)_

**So you saw the flowers**

**What do you say? Date tonight?**

_From: My Jigglypuff Jihyo (12:36 pm)_

**Uhm don’t you have that girl**

**Who asked you out tonight**

_From: My Penguin Minari (12:37 pm)_

**Oh I did**

**But I said no**

**I don’t want to anyways**

_From: My Jigglypuff Jihyo (12:38 pm)_

**But why :(**

**Wasn’t she taking you to that nice carnival you wanted to go to**

_From: My Penguin Minari (12:41 pm)_

**Because my darling Jihyo**

**I or WE would still be going to the carnival anyways**

**But I would rather spend my Valentine’s day**

**With the person I truly love anyways**

Neither of them replies for a good five minutes. Jihyo only stands there frozen as an iceberg, staring at her phone with wide eyes as she stares at the last words Mina said. That was until she heard another ping from her phone,

_My Penguin Minari (12:46 pm)_

**That’s** **you, Jihyo, you’re the person I truly love**

And there, at the age of 20, with both of them blushing when they picked each other up from one another’s room, since they lived in the same apartment, did Jihyo feel her heart skip a beat. All because Mina and her won a gigantic teddy bear that they promised they would share during cuddle nights, which was basically every single night. The place was brimming with couples, and the carnival was hideously decorated since it went ridiculously overboard for Valentine’s day. But it’s okay, because Jihyo’s eyes are only on Mina anyways.

  
  
  


The third time she realized that she may have made a very special place for Mina in her heart, Jihyo was drowning in caffeine.

Both of them were seniors now. They both went to the same university, albeit different majors, but the two best friends refused to be separated from each other. They were even roommates for the past four years too. Despite Jihyo pursuing a degree in architecture, and Mina choosing to stay true to her roots, and chose to major in Dance, both of them remained like two peas in a pod.

Inseparable. Nothing and no one could take them away from each other.

As of the moment, Jihyo was in a race against time. She had to submit her plate the very next day. It was the final requirement, but it was the most difficult too. She had shed tears for it already, and by now, she probably had no more tears left to cry. She had redone this plate twice, and this was her third attempt. Jihyo was about to truly lose her goddamn mind.

If she failed to submit this, she would undoubtedly fail the subject, and she wanted to graduate with her best friend, _goddammit._

Jihyo was so focused with her work, that she failed to hear Mina constantly calling for her name. A gentle hand on her shoulder snaps her out from her reverie. She looks at Mina with heavily unfocused eyes and tear stained cheeks.

“Jihyo.” Mina sighs out, worriedly. “Please take a break, my love.”

She whimpers from her seat, her eyes watering again from the impending work that’s staring right back at her. “I can’t.”

She tries to focus back on her work, but Mina saw the way her hands were shaking. She gently places the steaming mug of honey lemon tea she brought for her friend on a nearby table, far away from her friend’s desk. They really can’t afford any altercations right now.

“Jihyo.” Mina says more firmly, as her elegant fingers encircle Jihyo’s shaky wrists that were trying to draw straight lines, but to no avail. “Listen to me. You need a break.”

Jihyo sighs out heavily, ready to fight again. But how could she when Mina levels her with _that_ look. A look that showed that she simply worried about the most important person in her life. A look that simply showed that she only cared about Jihyo’s wellbeing.

“Okay.” Jihyo lets go of the tech pen and triangle she was holding. “Fifteen minutes.”

That was more than enough time for Mina.

She pulls Jihyo to the bed, sitting her down as she grabs the mug of tea and a pile of tissues. Without a word, Jihyo takes the tea with her own words of gratitude, as Mina uses the tissues to wipe the tear stains on Jihyo’s fluffy cheeks.

“You can’t keep pushing yourself like this, Jihyo.” Mina does not scold her, merely reminding her. “You really won’t be able to do anything if you keep on doing this to yourself.”

Jihyo sighs defeatedly, as she sips the hot tea Mina made for her. “I know I’m sorry.”

Next, Mina ran her fingers through Jihyo’s hair. Fixing the messy ponytail the architect major hurriedly put on her head. “How long have you been awake, huh? How many cups of coffee have you had?”

Their wall clock showed that it was currently 11:43 in the evening. “I have been awake since 10 in the morning.” But then Jihyo also glanced on their calendar before wincing. “Yesterday.”

Mina preemptively drops her hand from Jihyo’s head, as she gawks at her best friend. “Yesterday?”

“Yeah.” Jihyo looks down, unable to look Mina in the eyes in shame. “And I’ve had around six cups of coffee since the time I woke up.”

“Six?” Mina squeaks. If this was any other moment, Jihyo would find her voice adorable. But not now. “Oh my god, Jihyo!”

She takes a seat in front of her best friend, cupping Jihyo’s cheeks in her tiny palms. “We’ve talked about this, Hyo. You’ve left your habits like these during sophomore year when, you know, you collapsed in the middle of your classes.”

Mina still remembers that day like a clear photograph in her head. She was in the midst of warm ups and stretching when her phone rang. It was originally on silent, but it had a setting where it only rang when it was an emergency, or when it was Jihyo.

On that day, it was both.

Apparently, the university clinic had phoned Mina because she was Jihyo’s emergency contact. The architectural student had supposedly collapsed in the middle of her lecture. On that day, Mina proved that while she was a just dancer, she could actually beat any athlete with how quick she ran to the clinic.

The sight that met her that day was ingrained to her memory forever — she remembers crying over her best friend’s sleeping form the exact moment her eyes landed on the dark bags on Jihyo’s sunken eyes and utterly pale lips. It was terrifying.

“You promised me, Hyo,” Mina pushed up Jihyo’s face to look her in the eye, seeing as Jihyo was avoiding to do so. “You promised me you’ll never put me through that ever again.”

_You promised not to add more to my nightmares._

“I’m sorry.” There were once again tears welling up in Jihyo’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Mina, I just needed this to be done.”

As Mina had expected, Jihyo was now about to have a breakdown. So she merely opens her arms, and lets Jihyo sob on her shoulder. Her body was shaking from the intensity of her cries, and Mina could only rub her back as she willed her own tears not to fall.

“Please, Jihyo.” Mina whispered after Jihyo spent about ten minutes crying. “Please take care of yourself.”

She feels a nod over her shoulder. “I’ll try, I promise.”

“I know you need this to be done.” Mina pulls Jihyo’s face from her neck to have her best friend stare at her in the eyes. “But you’ve got to remember your health too. When was the last time you ate a full meal, huh?”

With the way Mina questioned her, Jihyo knew Mina already expected the answer.

“I had ramen for dinner last night.”

She just didn’t expect it to be this worse.

“Ramen? Last night?” Mina gapes in disbelief. “What have you been eating since then?”

Jihyo shrugs as she wipes her tears with the back of her palms. “I don’t know, some biscuits I guess.”

There was a heavy look of disappointment on Mina’s face, and it made Jihyo feel like an utter failure.

“Jihyo.” She sighed so deeply as Jihyo only looked down. And yet she made no effort to reprimand her already stressed out friend. “Stay here and drink your tea. Don’t move from this bed. I'm gonna whip you something to eat real quick.”

Without another word, Mina exits their bedroom. She goes on to their kitchen and prepares a light meal that would hopefully not overwhelm Jihyo’s starving stomach, but also enough to make her feel full. All the while Jihyo sits on their bed unmoving. Not that she wanted to. Mina was right, she needed this break.

Less than ten minutes later, Mina came in with a plate full of food that immediately made Jihyo’s mouth water. It was now past midnight, and it’s not really healthy to eat anything anymore. But they’ve already proven that Jihyo wasn’t exactly the healthiest person on earth.

Mina helps her to eat. Jihyo refuses for Mina to feed her. She was just stressed but she was not a child, _thank you very much._ But nevertheless, she accepts the little efforts of her friend to wipe away the tears that still flowed down her cheeks, or the way Mina gently reminded her to eat slower, so as not to hurt her little tummy.

When she was done with her meal and tea, she drank the glass of water Mina had also prepared for her. “Thank you, Minari.”

Mina tucks a strand of Jihyo’s hair behind her ear. “No need to thank me, Jihyo-yah.”

“But I do.” Jihyo rebutted with a sorrowful look in her swollen eyes. “You’re not my mother, and I’m old enough to take care of myself. I’m sorry I had to put you through this.”

The corner of Mina’s lips tilted upward. “It’s fine, I might not be your mom,” She uses a tissue to wipe a drop of sauce on Jihyo’s chin. “But you know I love taking care of you.”

And Jihyo did not doubt that even for one moment.

“I know,” Jihyo mutters. “But still, thank you. And I’m sorry.”

Mina runs the pads of her thumb across Jihyo’s cheeks gently. “You’ve been thanking me for the past four years, Jihyo.” And she subtly swipes them over Jihyo’s reddened lips. “And I’ve always told you that it’s okay.”

There were still hints of underlying guilt racking through her body, but Jihyo kept her gaze unwavering. “And I will always keep on thanking you, for doing all these things for me, even if you don’t have to.”

Mina lets her fingers run through Jihyo’s hair one last time. “You’re right I don’t have to.” Or maybe this one’s the last one. “But I still do, because you are the most important person in my life, Jihyo.”

Once again, Jihyo does not doubt that for one moment.

For she was as important to Mina, as Mina was to her.

It’s always been that way — Jihyo and Mina, one never more that the other, one always there for each other.

“Thank you, Mina.” From time and time again, Jihyo is overwhelmed with a sudden sense of gratitude towards her best friend. This was one of those times. “I should get back to work.” 

She heaves a heavy sigh as she looks at her desk that was brimming with papers and pens. But now, she doesn’t look at them hopelessly. The short break has cleared her mind, and Mina’s presence has given her enough motivation. “Please go to bed, you have classes in the morning.”

Mina gave her body one last look, finally allowing her to work now that her hands weren’t shaking anymore. “Don’t worry about me, I don’t have classes tomorrow. And please Jihyo, don’t work any later than three in the morning.”

There was still roughly two hours until three in the morning. Jihyo can do that, _hopefully._ But wait a minute, “Why don’t you have classes tomorrow, Minari?”

The last time Jihyo checked, everyone was in a hectic phase now. How come Mina didn’t have classes tomorrow? And yet, Mina’s eyes never lose their gentleness even when she reminds Jihyo of tomorrow’s date. “Our grand recital is tomorrow evening, Jihyo. We have no classes for the rest of the day.”

 _Holy fucking shit._ Jihyo freezes on her spot as she immediately scans the calendar. She sees today’s date, since it was now past midnight, marked with a tiny penguin sticker. She must have overlooked that through her stress ridden mind earlier. Oh no, she made Mina stick with her late at night when she had her grand recital tomorrow. Her grand recital that Jihyo selfishly forgot.

“I’m such a horrible friend.”

Jihyo could honestly cry again when she reached that conclusion. Her face crumples as she tries to hold back her sobs, because, _fuck,_ Mina deserved a much better friend than her. “I’m so fucking sorry, Mina.”

Not letting her friend have another breakdown, she immediately engulfed Jihyo into a big hug. “Now, now, it’s okay. I’m not mad. I understand.” She presses a kiss to Jihyo’s hair for good measure. “I promise I’m not mad, Jihyo. It’s fine.”

“Still.” Jihyo whimpers as she pulls her face to look her best friend in the eye. “I should’ve remembered your big day. I’m sorry.”

“No. You would have remembered it if you weren’t this stressed out.” Mina rubbed circles into her back as she spoke. “But it’s okay, because I understand you, okay?”

 _God how did she get so lucky with her best friend?_ Jihyo will never understand what she did whether in her past life or in this one, to deserve such an amazing _best friend_ like Mina. 

“I’m sorry.” Jihyo said solemnly, her eyes filling with unshed tears. “I promise I’ll make it to your recital, tomorrow. It’s 9 in the evening, right?”

But Mina only pats her cheek with a small smile on her beautiful face. “Now, now, I’m not gonna let you in until you’ve gotten enough sleep okay?” Then she intructs Jihyo on what to do now that Jihyo’s head was still a little cloudy. “Tonight you sleep at 3 am max, then you wake up for your 9 am classes. You only have classes until 2 tomorrow right?” She asks for confirmation and Jihyo nods. “You come home straight to bed, and then will I only allow you to watch me.”

“Okay.” Jihyo agrees. That sounded like an excellent plan. “I promise I’ll sleep.”

“Oh you better,” Mina playfully squints her eyes at Jihyo. Not that it would ever scare Jihyo, Mina was too much of an angel to look anywhere near scary. “Because if you don’t. I won’t have my personal cheerleader with me. And I will be very sad.”

From the moment she met Mina, Jihyo made it her life mission to never see Mina sad. More so, she had long promised that she will never be the reason why Mina would ever be hurt or upset. “Okay, Mina.” Jihyo promises, with all her heart. “I’ll be there for you, I promise.”

“Good.” And maybe, Mina promises with not just her entire heart, but with her mind, body, and soul too. “I’ll always be here for you too, Jihyo.”

And in that moment, Jihyo understands. 

Never will there ever come a day that she will never have Mina by her side.

_The same way Mina will never, ever lose her Jihyo._

Come sunrise, and Jihyo is still tired and sleepy. But she powers through, she slept at exactly three in the morning and it’s now eight. Her project was done, thankfully, and she carefully carries her plates towards her college.

At exactly 2:32 in the afternoon, Jihyo slumps in her bed. Setting an alarm for eight in the evening, it will give her just enough time to catch some sleep, and make it to Mina’s grand recital. Come 8:57 pm, and Jihyo is sat with a bouquet of flowers she personally designed with the help of her friend, Dahyun. She will then watch, with her mouth ajar, the dance Mina had prepared for this night, looking so ethereal and beautiful, it literally took her breath away. 

Come 10:30 in the evening, she’s hugging her best friend, telling her of not just how talented and gorgeous she was on stage, but also of how proud she was of her beautiful swan. Hand in hand, they go to their favorite late night diner, celebrating not just Mina’s successful recital, but also Jihyo’s final submission. 

Come forever, and Jihyo _still_ has her Mina.

And there, at the age of 22, just two months away from graduation, did Jihyo feel a certain warmth in her heart, knowing how lucky she is to have her Minari to hold her during her highest ups, and lowests downs.

  
  
  


The fourth time Jihyo froze on her place because of her stupidly _unclear_ feelings, Mina just opened her own dance studio.

“Oh my god, Jihyo!” She ran to her best friend's arms and Jihyo had no hesitation to pick her up and spin her around. “I can’t believe it’s here.”

Jihyo’s heart swells with nothing but pure love and joy for her best friend’s achievement. “I’m so proud of you, Minari.”

The space was still small, just enough for one class. Mina still worked another job since the dance studio was still not enough to pay the bills. But it was fine, because _this_ was Mina’s, and Mina’s alone.

The same way Jihyo was for Mina.

Mina’s eyes tear up slightly as she glances around her studio with the brightest smile Jihyo has ever seen on her gorgeous face. It was a small and dingy space, but Mina was looking at it as if it was the grandest pavilion in the city. “I’m so happy, Hyo.”

“You deserve it.” And she truly does. “You work so hard, Minari. No one deserves this more than you.”

Mina’s eyes linger on Jihyo’s face for a moment too long, before she extends her hand with a playful smile on beautiful lips. “Come, Jihyo.”

Although she wasn’t exactly sure where Mina was taking her, she placed her hand on Mina’s anyway. “Huh?”

There was just a small speaker near the mirrors lining the walls, and Mina plugs her phone in it, never letting go of Jihyo’s hand. She puts on her playlist, and a soft tune begins playing in the air and in the entire room.

“Dance with me, Jihyo.” Mina says as she grasps for both of Jihyo’s hands. “I want to remember this moment for the rest of my life.”

It wasn’t a slow dance, per se. Not like the one they had in prom. But this was much more intimate, with Mina’s hands wrapped around Jihyo’s neck, and Jihyo’s arms wrapped around her waist, their bodies pressed up against each other, as they softly swayed to the beat.

“Thank you, Jihyo.” Mina whispers from above her head, as Jihyo is buried into Mina’s shoulder. “Thank you for everything.”

“Huh,” Jihyo hums curiously. “This is all on you, Mina. I did nothing.”

“Not true.” Mina says as they don’t stop swaying. “You stayed with me throughout it all, you were my rock.”

It was on the tip of Jihyo’s tongue to tell Mina that she had done more for Jihyo than Jihyo has ever done for. “But this was all you, Minari.”

“Maybe you’re right,” A tear slips from Mina’s eyes from the sheer happiness her heart was bursting with in this moment. Jihyo sees her wipe it through the mirrors. “But I wouldn’t be this happy, if you weren’t here by my side, Hyo.”

At that, Jihyo was unable to say anything more.

Not that it was needed, this moment alone was more than enough to speak volumes. Mina was there, smiling softly at Jihyo as they spun around the dance studio. With no eyes to judge them, with no one to intrude _their_ moment.

Jihyo also begins to think of her own miniscule achievements. Yes, it was mostly done by her along with the support of the people around her. But Mina was right, she also wouldn’t be this happy if she didn’t have _her_ Mina to share it all with.

Life would be so lonely without _her_ Minari.

And Mina, Mina would surely treasure this moment for the rest of her life. All her efforts and hard work is wrapped in this very moment. It was only the beginning, but nothing and absolutely no one could ever take this moment in time away from her. Ever. For here she was with the two things she has loved and will always love for the rest of her life — dancing, and Jihyo.

Because for Mina, dance might be her first love, but Jihyo would surely be her last.

And there, at the age of 24, with the two of them barely starting to achieve their dreams in life, did Jihyo and Mina realize how much more beautiful life was, because they have each other wrapped in one another’s arms as they proceeded to dance to this song called _forever_.

  
  
  


The fifth time Jihyo received a certain clarity over her true feelings, she was in a bathroom on the verge of tears.

Jihyo was staring at the small rectangular test, her third one at that, and it simply confirms what the first two had already shown her.

Two red lines.

Just like that, Jihyo felt her entire world come crashing down.

At the age of 26, Jihyo barely established her name as an architect. She had just gotten her license, and now, here she was, about to become a single _mother._

She’s about to faint.

Jihyo sits down on the closed lid of the toilet bowl, still unable to process the news presented to her. She just broke up with her ex boyfriend less than two months ago, when she caught him cheating. And even if they now _had_ a child, Jihyo had absolutely no plans of getting back with him.

_Oh god she’s going to be a single mother._

She thinks about her options. As a woman, she’d always been an open minded person. She knows that she can get rid of the baby, she’s young and single, a baby will just ruin her career. But at the same time, deep in her heart, Jihyo always wanted to be a mother. She had a deep love for kids, and had always wanted one of her own. And this one’s hers, and she had always wanted one that was hers alone. 

Now that she was presented with one, she finds herself unable to make a decision.

She can’t think, hell, she can’t even breathe. This is all too much. So she does the first thing that comes into her mind — call her _best friend_.

Mina answers on the third ring.

“Hey Jihyo?” She’s probably in the midst of teaching her dance class. “What’s up?”

Just this once, Jihyo chose to be selfish. “I need you.”

Perhaps it was the pure desperation in her tone or the way her voice cracked with unshed sobs, had Mina only uttering two words without any question. “I’m coming.”

Exactly half an hour later, Jihyo is safely tucked underneath Mina’s warm embrace.

“What am I going to do?” Jihyo sobs on her shoulder. Her body shakes as Mina runs her hands all over Jihyo’s forearms. “I’m p-pregnant.”

Something about saying those words out loud had Jihyo crying harder and Mina flinching. The dancer doesn’t say anything, it will all fall into deaf ears anyways. So simply allows her to shed waterfalls of tears. _She’s here, she’ll always be a shoulder to cry on._

It takes a lot of time for Jihyo to calm down. But once she does, she looks up to her best friend with devastatingly broken eyes. “What am I going to do, Mina?”

Mina has thought of that as Jihyo cried. They were now both sitting side by side on her bed, the bathroom door open. From here, she could see the three rectangular tests Jihyo took sitting on top of her bathroom counter. A confirmation that _he_ indeed got her pregnant.

“Jihyo, listen to me.” She cups her best friend’s face in her cheeks. “I’m not going to ask you to make a decision about your baby right now, and you shouldn’t. Your mind is still clouded, give it a few days.”

That seemed logical enough. Whatever Jihyo decided today would simply be on impulse. She needed to think more of this through. “Okay.”

“Just know Jihyo,” Mina says seriously as she stares straight into Jihyo’s teary eyes. “That whatever you decide, I’m going to be here for you. I’m never gonna leave you, okay? You’re not alone.”

Jihyo’s heart breaks down all over again. There’s just something about the sincerity of Mina’s words that matches the sincerity in her eyes had Jihyo sobbing once more. Knowing that Mina will always be with her, whether she decides to keep the child or not, is very, very soothing to her. 

_She’s not alone. She has her Mina._

“Okay.” Jihyo’s body shakes in silent sobs. “Thank you, Mina. Thank you so, so much.”

“Shh,” Mina hushes her as she drops a kiss to Jihyo’s temple. “You’ll always have me, Jihyo. Always.”

Just like she always had in more than ten years of their friendship.

They spend the rest of the day, and night, in bed as Jihyo cries again, and again. Mina doesn’t live far anyways, she literally just has her own room besides Jihyo. So she spends the night sharing a bed with her best friend, just like they always do for at least four times a week.

Technically, Jihyo knows she would have to tell her ex. But at the end of the day, the decision will be hers. She clutches her still flat tummy in her hands, and it’s almost funny, how she’s already wondering about her baby’s sex.

_Her baby._

Jihyo always thought that if she ever got pregnant when she was still not yet ready, she would, without a doubt, go and have the baby aborted. It’s the 21st century anyways, it’s time women were given that choice.

But people were not lying when they said that you can only really know what you’ll do, once you’re put in that position.

For against all that she stood for, Jihyo knocks on Mina’s bedroom door exactly two weeks later since she found out she was pregnant, and confidently tells her best friend of her decision. “I’m keeping the baby.”

People will judge her either way, for keeping a baby without being married, or for choosing to eliminate your child. But this decision was Jihyo’s, and Jihyo’s decision alone. She told her ex about the situation, and he, at least, had the decency to leave the choice to Jihyo. He would be there to send support if she chooses to keep the child, but he would also not question her if she chooses not to.

After countless sleepless nights, Jihyo has arrived at this decision. You can ask her _why,_ or maybe, _what for,_ but at the end of the day, Jihyo knows she won’t be able to give you a definite answer. No, she did not just wake up one day, knowing she had to keep her baby. It was a slow coming to terms about her innate nature, of what she truly wanted, and of what she has finally decided.

Thankfully, Mina does not question her decision too. “Okay.”

She simply stands and walks towards her best friend. She holds Jihyo’s hand on her own and squeezes it tight. A gentle reminder that she was here, and she wasn’t going anywhere.

The next few months were a whirlwind. Jihyo’s tummy was gradually getting bigger. She went to all her doctor’s appointments with Mina, instead of her ex boyfriend, by her side. Mina was more constant in her life anyways.

Mina was also with her in buying new baby clothes, the two of them playfully fighting which onesie would look better, only for them to end up getting both. Mina was there when they turned their spare bedroom into a nursery. Mina was there whenever she had mood swings and cravings, even leaving their house at four in the morning when Jihyo was heavily craving french fries dipped in mint chocolate chip ice cream. Mina was there through it all without a single complaint.

Hell, she was even there when Jihyo gave birth.

Instead of the usual mother holding the hand of her child’s father, it was Mina who held her hand in a fierce grip. Her best friend’s eyes were blurring with tears as she looked at Jihyo so worryingly, seeing her best friend in utter pain. _God, Mina wished she could take her pain away._ It was a long delivery, but at the end, it was all worth it when they heard the first cry of Jihyo’s baby girl.

Jihyo was still exhausted, barely able to open her eyes hours after the delivery. But the first thing she saw immediately brought the happiest smile on her face.

There, just a few inches away from her, Mina stood cradling her child _as if she was her own_. She smiled so brightly upon her angel, and it was in that day that Jihyo’s heart exploded with the most love it could ever contain.

“Look, baby,” Mina carefully brought the baby girl closer to her mother. “Mommy’s awake.”

She hands the little one to Jihyo’s arms, and that’s when Jihyo realizes that all those stories were true. The joy of holding your child for the very first time was inexplicable. Her eyes automatically filled with tears as she gazed upon her baby girl’s barely opened eyes. “Hello, Sarang.” 

_Love._

That was all Jihyo could feel as she looked at her child, and at the woman smiling so brightly in front of her.

Nothing but _pure love_.

And there, at the age of 26, with her arms filled with a beautiful baby girl and the most constant person in her life looking at her and her baby so fondly, did Jihyo feel her heart fill with nothing but love. Because right here, and right now, with Sarang and Mina, did Jihyo realize that she had just built her own little _family_.

  
  
  


The day Jihyo finally realizes that she was in love with Mina, she was standing in the middle of the kitchen, watching the love of her life wash the dishes.

It was just a regular Thursday afternoon, both of them finally free from work. Jihyo just came home to Mina standing there, cleaning their glassware, with her back turned away from Jihyo, who was currently standing in the doorway.

“Jihyo?” She probably heard her come by to the kitchen. “Sarang is currently sleeping right now, but I put a baby monitor on her crib and so far, it’s been quiet. Do you want to eat?”

It was _nothing_ , then _everything_ all at once.

An onslaught of feelings and emotions suddenly crashed into Jihyo’s mind and heart. Or maybe it wasn’t sudden, it’s always been there, but she was just oblivious to it. But like a curtain unveiled, her heart feels too exposed. Right here and right now, Jihyo could literally feel her heart beating so fast, but _not_ in a panic, just a little bewildered.

“Jihyo?” Mina turned around when she heard no response. “Are you okay?”

 _Is she?_ How can she explain that sudden burst of love her heart just exploded with out of the blue. One moment she was ready to tell Mina that she was home, and the next, Jihyo was standing there, frozen like a popsicle.

All she knew was that she was looking at this beautiful girl whom her own daughter called _Mama_. She looked at the back of the woman who has been her rock through her every rise and fall of the rollercoaster she called her life. All she saw was someone, who was both her best friend and something more, completing her dream family before they even had a golden band on their fingers.

“I think,” Jihyo breathes out shakily. “I’m in love with you, Mina.”

In all honesty, Jihyo expected herself to panic then run away. It was always chaotic anyways whenever she confessed her feelings to her old boyfriends or girlfriends. But with Mina, she felt calm — serene. As if she knew that whether or not Mina returned her feelings, is that they’re going to be okay, because _they_ were stronger than any of these.

She might have also expected an awkward silence, counting down the seconds Mina would gently tell her that she couldn’t return her feelings. But that’s okay, she’ll be more than fine loving Mina in her own way.

“It took you exactly ten years to realize that.”

But what she did not expect was an equally serene smile on Mina’s face, her eyes lighting up with nothing but happiness. She turns off the faucet, and finally walks to where Jihyo was standing with her mouth agape. This close, Jihyo feels her emotions get ten times stronger, especially when Mina’s smile is directed towards her, and only her.

“I’ve been waiting for you to see that for almost a decade,” Mina giggles, her eyes fond. “Finally, the wait was worth it.”

 _Oh my god._ Jihyo does a quick run through of their memories together. How did she never notice? How did she fail to realize that the love Mina has constantly shown her means so much more? She thinks about all the partners Mina had in her life, and how they all didn’t last long. _Not when she was in love with her best friend anyways._

“I, I,” Jihyo stood looking like a fish out of the water. “Y-you? You love me too?”

A loud, but not harsh, laugh escapes Mina’s pink lips. “Jihyo, oh my Jihyo,” She then cups one side of Jihyo’s face and captures her eyes in a sincere gaze. “I’ve been in love with you ever since I pulled you for my first dance during our prom night.”

Prom night was around ten years ago. Mina was right, it’s been a decade.

Looking back at that, Jihyo also remembers that it was the very first time she fell for Mina. And for the past ten years, she kept on falling for her over and over again, for both the little and big things she’s done for Jihyo. 

“I think,” Jihyo whispers, but Mina hears it anyway. Their faces were only a few inches apart. “That was also around the same time I first fell for you, Mina.”

Mina then pulls her close, so close that their noses are now touching. Jihyo doesn’t pull away. She has neither the will nor the desire to do so anyways. “Ten years, Jihyo. You owe me ten years of this.”

In one magical moment, Jihyo’s world freezes. The only thing that snaps her back to reality, is the feeling of Mina’s soft lips pressed up against her own.

When she was younger, Jihyo had a theory. She believed that finding your soulmate was just like two puzzle pieces slotting together. At the end of the day, you were both just puzzle pieces, already a whole, already more than enough. You’re neither identical nor completely different. You just _connected_ one another. In every place you lacked, the other complimented. And everywhere they dipped, you fulfilled.

But right now, at the prime of her adulthood, Jihyo came up with a new theory.

Finding your soulmate felt exactly like that moment her lips first landed on Myoui Mina — her best friend, her other half, her _soulmate._

Mina pulls away by a few centimeters, just to look her in the eye again. “I’m so happy you finally realized it, Jihyo.”

It’s funny, because Mina was right. She just _realized_ it, but it was always there. It just took her ten years to put a label on her feelings. Thank goodness, Mina had the patience of a saint.

“I’m sorry,” Jihyo apologizes sincerely. “I’m sorry I made you wait this long.”

“Nonsense,” Mina pecks her lips just _because._ “All good things come to those who wait, Jihyo. And you, my love, is worth waiting for even after a million years.”

There was something about Mina’s words, and Mina’s voice, and Mina’s eyes, and Mina’s smile — or maybe it’s just Mina in general — that managed to tug on Jihyo’s heartstrings. The next thing she knows, Mina was using the pads of her thumb to gently wipe away a lone tear that fell from Jihyo’s eyes.

“I love you so much, Mina.” Jihyo lets one more tear fall. “Thank you for waiting for me.”

“Of course,” Mina giggles, before a look of curiosity crosses her face. “But may I know what finally gave it away?”

Jihyo also began to wonder, _what made her truly realize it too?_

“I,” Jihyo began to talk. “I think I was just looking at you, thinking of how pretty you always were. And then you mentioned Sarang, and I realized how much of a mother you are to her, as much as I am to my own daughter. I thought of you, being with me through everything in my life. Of you never leaving me behind. I thought of how you and Sarang are my family, of how you are her mama too, even if she isn’t your own blood. And now,” Jihyo teasingly kisses her cheek. “I guess it’s up to me to make you my wife too.”

 _Oh how long had Mina yearned to hear those words?_ She could feel her eyes watering. For ten years, Mina patiently waited for the day Jihyo would tell her those words she had always dreamt of. Mina has stuck by her side through thick and thin, through every single lover, through her failures and successes, all because she dreamt of this day — the day Jihyo would finally see her as her soulmate.

“Oh Jihyo,” Mina tears up. “I love you so, so much. And someday I promise. I’ll walk you down the aisle and we’ll—”

“No!” Jihyo cuts her off abruptly, making Mina’s eyes widen momentarily. “Let me.” She sighs out as she sees the panic in her beloved’s eyes. “Let me do it, Mina. It’s my turn. You’ve waited a decade. From now on, I’m going to be the one who’ll wait for you to let me walk you down the aisle.”

It was on the tip of Mina’s tongue to tell Jihyo that she really didn’t have to wait long. Mina would marry her tonight if she wanted. But Mina keeps silent, with a soft and fond smile on her face. “Okay, Jihyo.” She steals one more peck on Jihyo's lightly chapped lips. “I’m giving this to you.”

Oh how Mina can’t wait. She begins to wonder how Jihyo will ask her, or where they plan to get married. It would be more than enough with just her, Sarang, their parents, and their closest friends anyways. Goodness, she hopes Jihyo won’t make her wait another ten years. 

“Thank you, Mina.” How can one woman be this perfect, Jihyo wonders. “Can I just ask though, why did you wait for me for so long?”

Ten years is no joke, both Mina and Jihyo know that. And Mina will admit that she has spent countless nights wondering indeed, why she kept on waiting for someone who seemed adamant on only seeing her as her best friend. But on every single one of those nights, Mina always arrives at the same realization again, and again, without fail.

“I stayed,” Mina tells her with her heart out in the open. “Because you were there for me, as much as I was there for you.”

Maybe they were both fools. They could have had this ages ago, but neither of them said a word. But then again, everything comes in perfect timing, just like this very moment. A moment neither of them would exchange for the world.

“It started in small things, you know. In how you never lost the patience to tutor me back in high school. Then we went into college, and you were there for me as much as I was there for you.” Mina recalls those memories with teary eyes. “On nights I couldn't even walk because my feet were killing me from dancing the whole day, you carried me home. You were there for me in every single one of my recitals, that not even my parents could do. With your own personalised bouquet that I have treasured with my entire heart.” At this point, they were both crying. But it’s okay, they were both there to wipe each other’s tears away. “You were there for me, when I was struggling to pay for our rent, that time I just opened my own dance studio. You never uttered a word and took the entire burden for months, just so you could help me get on my feet. You were there when I experienced my first time falling in love, and my first heartbreak too.”

She dares to cup Jihyo’s tears strained cheeks on her hand, as she looks at Jihyo’s eyes that mirrored the utter love and adoration her own eyes held.

“And for all of that Jihyo, I stayed.” Both their hearts were out in the open. “Because you loved me, as much as I loved you.”

Everyone knows that Jihyo was one of the best architects in town. Slowly but surely, she was building up her own name. She mostly thought of the world in figures and numbers, of lines and angles. And yet, she thinks that even if she was a writer, or even a poet at that, she still wouldn’t be able to come up with the right words to describe how she was feeling this exact moment in her life.

All she knew was that for a sturdy building to be built on a strong foundation, it took years of not just constructing, but also of planning, of designing, and of polishing.

Like this one, it took ten years in the making.

“Oh Minari,” She bumps their foreheads together as she steals another deep kiss from Mina’s lips that tasted of something sweet and a little salty from their tears. “I love you so, so much. Thank you for waiting for me, my princess.”

The way Mina smiled at Jihyo was nothing new, but it still left Jihyo breathless every single time.

“It was my honor, my angel,” Mina whispers. She thinks about all that she has right now, of all the things that led her to this moment. She thinks of all the secrets they shared, the people they cried over, the times they picked each other up when they fell, the times they celebrated their achievements, and even of mundane moments of merely cuddling, talking with each other, and of simply basking in each other’s presence. Mina also thinks about Sarang, a child that she has accepted as her own daughter, and a sweet baby girl who also called her _mama_. “I would gladly wait for you for ten more years, ten more decades, or ten more lifetimes.”

She thinks of Jihyo, of her best friend. Of the person whom she swore she’ll never ever regret having in her most important memories since that night in prom. Of the woman she has intertwined her red string with. Of her soulmate whom she has never gotten tired of caring and loving, the same way Jihyo never did for her. She thinks of Jihyo, and of the family they built, and of the love they shared for more than the past decade.

This was definitely a slow burn for the story books, a whole ten years in the making.

“If it all ended with you, right here, falling in love with me over and over again, for the rest of eternity.”

  
  
  


**FIN.**

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, see this is not so angsty. I hope you all enjoyed my first entry to the Twice Underrated Ships Fic Fest. Thank you so much for reading, I highly, highly, appreciate it. If you want to chat with me, please do hmu at my [twitter](https://twitter.com/girlslikemono) where you can find details about my [commissions](https://twitter.com/girlslikemono/status/1280797461099896832?s=20). Also if it's not too much to ask, please do drop me a [ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/girlslikemono) if you can. Help me buy my twice online concert ticket UWU but nevertheless, your comments and kudos are more than enough... thank you so much! I love you all.


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